Hinge mechanism



June 10, 1952 c JENKINS 2,599,834

HINGE MECHANISM Filed Dec. 9, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 I N VEN TOR.

BY WMZ/VW M 4547M MM June 10, 1952 M c. JENKINS HINGE MECHANISM 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Dec. 9, 1949 I N VEN TOR.

' to those skilled Patented June It), 1952 i Merl C. Jenkins, Lakeland, Fla assignor to Lodwick Aircraft Industries, -Inc., Lakeland, Fla., a corporation of Florida Application December 9, 1949, Serial No. 132,036

The present invention relates to hinge mechanisms in general, and more particularly to hinge mechanisms for use in connection with furniture, or mother applications in which it is desired to conceal the mechanism or displace it from the actual hinge axis. The mechanism of the invention is particularly suitable'for use in connection with combination furniture: of the character described and claimed in my copend ing application Serial No. 125,059,1iled November 2, 1949, but many analogous uses will occur in the art to which the invention relates.

The general object of the invention is the provision of a hinge mechanism of a character such that the actual hinge axis, that is-to say, the axis about which the two hingedly connected members may pivot relative to each other, occupies a position outside of the mechanismitself, whereby the latter may not be seen from one side of the hingedly connected articles, and the points of connection of the hinge mechanism to the said members are removed from the hinged edges thereof. This feature is particularly useful in connection with articles such as the cushions of furniture, which need to be upholstered and which, by the use of thepresent invention, may be upholstered completely around the hinged edges without interference with' the mechanism of the hinge and without the 'necessity of covering the latter.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a hinge of the character described, including means for limiting the opening movement of the hinge in such a way as to bring the hinged objects exactly into alignment, or into another predetermined angular relationship.

A further object of the invention isthe provision, in a hinge of the character described, of means for operating a further mechanism, such as the leg mechanism of a folding bed or the like.

Other and further objects, features and advantages will be apparent ;from the description which follows, read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a side elevation of a combination sofa and bed, a part of the arm structure being broken away to disclose the operating mechanism; V

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the back rest portion of the sofa bed of Figure l in an intermediate position of unfolding;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view similar to Figure 2, but showing the back rest portion com-. pletely unfolded into bed position;

7 Claims. (01. 16-164) 2 Figure 4 is a partial plan view of the framework and hinge mechanism shown in Figure 3; and. c

Figure 5 is a vertical section on line 55 of Figure 4;

In order to facilitate an understanding'of the invention, reference is made to the embodiment thereof shown inthe accompanying drawings-and detailed descriptive language is employed. It

will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the invention is thereby intended and that, various changes and alterations'are contemplated .such as would ordinarily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring to Figure 1, the combination sofabed there illustrated comprises generally a base I0, seat portion II, back rest portion I2 and arm rests I3, the back rest portion I2 comprising two hingedly connected sections I4 and I5. The section I4 is operatively connected with the base In by means of a linkage generally indicated at I6, described and claimed in the aforesaid copending application, to which reference is made for a more detailed description of said linkage, which forms no part of the present invention. The sections I4 and I5 of the back rest portion I2 are hingedly connected by the mechanism of the present invention and are adapted, when the structure is to be converted from use as a sofa touse asa bed, to be swung bodily forwardly and into alignment with each other and with the seat portion II. During this movement the sections I4 and I5, of course, must unfold or open about their upper abutting edges and, at the same time, a pairof supporting legs must be swung into vertical position in. order to support the outer end of the section I5. The mechanism of the 'present invention controls and facilitates these latter two movement Referring to Figures 2, 3 and 4, the section I4 comprises a-rectangular framework I'I preferably of metal and an upholstered cushion I8 secured thereon; Similarly, the section I5 comprises a rectangular metal framework I9 and upholstered cushion 20. The abutting end membersZI and 22 of the cushions I8 and 20 may be of wood or other suitable material and since'they are intended'to lie flush with each other in closed position; and in close abutment when in open An important featur off 3 of the hinge be removed from this point, and the present invention achieves this object.

The hinge of the invention comprises, generally, two pairs of parallel links, each pair being cross connected, and the outer or longer links of the respective pairs being pivoted together as are also the shorter inner links of the respective pairs. Thus, one of the pairs of links aforesaid comprises a longer link 24 and a shorter link 25 and the other pair comprises a longer link 26 and a shorter link 21. and 26 are pivotally connected as at 28, and the The two longer links 24 two shorter links '25 and 21 are pivotally connected at 29. The inner ends of, the shorter links are also connected to midpoints of the longer links by means of, cross links 30 and 3|, respectively, the outer ends of links 24 and 25 being pivoted at 32 and 33, respectively, to, a bracket 11a. secured on the framework l1 of r the section [4 and the links 26 and 21 being pivoted at 34 and 35, respectively to a bracket l9a.

secured on the framework 19 of the section 15.

Preferably, one of theshort links, for example the link 25, is provided with an extension 36 of such a length that it will come into engagement with the side edge of link 26 when the'hinge is in the position illustrated in Figure 3 and in which the connected sections I4 and [5 are in horizontal alignment, thus preventing further unfolding movement of the hinge mechanism. The length of the extension 36 may, of course, be such as to secure other angular relationships between the hingedly connected members, if desired, in other applications of the hinge mechanism.

Operation of the hinge mechanism may be caused to actuate further mechanism as in the case of the supporting legs in this present embodiment. A pair of supporting legs 31, preferablycross connected by means of a bar 38, are pivoted as at 39 on the framework l9 of the outer or end section I5. Links 40 are pivoted at one end to the respective legs 31, at points 4| spaced somewhat below the pivots 39, and are pivoted at their other ends as at 43 to extensions 42 of links 21 of the hinge mechanismson respective sides of the sofa-bed. It will be readily understood thatas the hinge mechanism unfolds, and link 21 swings counterclockwise about its pivot 35,'link 40 is moved to the left and swings the supporting leg 31 in a clockwise direction about its pivot 39, into vertical position as shown in Figure 3. When the sections l4 and I5 are folded together, the reverse movement of the legs 31 takes place, and they are moved into alignment with the framework 19 as the sections 14 and I5 come together in the position illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 5 illustrates the relative lateral relationships of the various elementsof the hinge mechanism.

7 From the foregoing description it will be understood that the various objectives set forth in the preamble to this description are achieved by the invention. It will likewise be understood that the invention is applicable not only to furniture of the particular character described but to adanisin itself is desirable Y theqp'resent 1 invention 4 lies in the fact that a hinge mechanism of the character described possesses great strength and is able to furnish, in itself, adequate support between adjacent members, such as the sections 14 and I5 of the present embodiment, to render them substantially as rigid as if integral, thus eliminating the necessity oflother supports, such as legs, at this point.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. Hinge mechanism comprising two connected sets of links, said sets being angularly disposed to eachother, each said set comprising a long link, a parallel short link, a first cross link connecting the outer ends of said long and short links, and a second cross link connecting the inner end ofsaid short link to a midpoint of said long link, the inner ends of said long links being pivoted together, and the inner ends of said short links being pivoted together. V

2. Hinge mechanism comprising two connected sets of links, said sets being angularly disposed to each other, each said set comprising a long link, a parallel short link, a first cross link connecting theouter ends of said long and short links, and a second cross link connecting the inner end of said short link to a'midpoint of said long link, the inner ends of said long links being pivoted together, and the inner ends of said short links being pivoted together, said first cross links bein adapted to be secured to the respective members to be hingedly connected. t

3. In a mechanism according to claim 2, means limiting the angular movement apart of said sets about their common pivots.

4. Mechanism according to claim 3, said last means comprising an inwardly projecting extension of the short link of one set, lying in the same plane as the adjacent portion of the long link of the other set.

5. Hinge mechanism comprising two longer links pivoted together, theouter ends thereof being adapted to be pivoted respectively to the members to be hingedly connected, two shorter links pivoted together, the outer ends of said shorter links being likewise adapted to be pivoted respectively to the members to be hingedly connected, and separate means each of which pivotally connects the common pivot point of said shorter links to the midpoint of a difierent longer link.

6. In a mechanism according to claim 5, means limiting the approach to each other of said common pivots.

'7. A mechanism according to claim 5, said longer links being of equal length, and said shorter links lying inwardly of and parallel to said longer links.

.7 MERL C. JENKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are o'f recoi'din the file of this patent I nrrEn-s-TA'rEs ATENT 

